Fishing report, Dec. 6- 12: Delta stripers, bass and sturgeon, new Melones rainbows and McClure crappie and catfish for best bets.

Compiled by California Outdoors Hall of Fame member Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, who guides in the greater Fresno area and holds the striper record at Millerton Lake.

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Best bets

Delta stripers, bass and sturgeon all active, Alan Fong reported. Don Pedro trout action improved, Monte Smith said. New Melones rainbows on a strong bite, John Liechty reported. McClure crappie and catfish lead the hit parade, Dave Hurley said. Bass Lake trout plants spur on improved catches , Mike Beighey reported.

Valley

Westside waterways

Striper 2 Catfish 3

The Striperz Gone Wild’s Fourth Annual SGW Toy Drive Tournament is Saturday, Dec. 9 at the California Aqueduct at Volta Road in Los Banos, and the entry fee is one unwrapped toy.

Over the past three years, more than a thousand toys have been donated to children in the community, and this year’s event is expected bring in hundreds more.

The tournament will be target-length instead of the largest fish. Prizes are awarded for first, second, and third in both adult and youth categories. Overall, striped bass action has been slow, but with the number of anglers participating in the derby, there should be several fish landed close to the target length.

Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill reported catfish continue to be the top draw in the aqueduct with chicken livers or anchovies. In the south aqueduct in Kern County, Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported a slower striped bass bite, but many local anglers ground it out for some great results.

Scott Treadway landed a monster striper using one of his custom jerkbaits in a shad pattern. Lure anglers also used paddle-tailed soft jerkbaits and tube baits at first light and in the evenings for some decent results. Bait anglers use cut baits, lugworms, or jumbo live minnows after check gates while dip baits, cut sardines, or chicken liver with Carolina or slip rigs are best for catfish. Largemouth were tight lipped last week. Plastics on the drop-shot, split-shot, or Texas-rigged grubs and small Flukes saw some action in slower moving water.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; Cope’Tackle and Rod, Bakersfield (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657.

Eastman Lake/Hensley Lake

Bass 2 Trout 2 Bluegill 2 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported, “Eastman is picking up for mostly small bass, but a 13.09 largemouth was caught and released along with a 7-pound bass. Plastics on the drop-shot have been the best technique for the smaller fish while swimbaits and glide baits are heating up for big largemouth in response to the recent trout plants. Crappie are holding in the submerged cockleburs.

Hensley remains slow for bass with only a few small ones landed. Catfishing continues to be best with chicken livers, cut baits, or stink baits.” Eastman held at about 550 feet in elevation and 61% of capacity with Hensley rising four feet to 467.10 feet in elevation and 14%.

Call: Eastman Lake (559) 689-3255; Valley Rod & Gun, Clovis (559) 292-3474; Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hensley Lake Hidden Dam (559) 673-515.

Lake Don Pedro

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 2 King salmon 2 Crappie 2

Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing reported an improved troll bite for trout as the fish have risen to the surface. This is a sign that the lake may have turned over, and he recommends running leadcore with shad-patterned spoons or sideplaners with Rapalas close to the shoreline and in the coves within the top 15 feet of the surface. Bass action remains slow overall, but the recent trout plants should bring out the swimbait and glide bait bite. The lake held at 796. feet in elevation and 80%. Updates on the launch ramp are available at https://www.donpedrolake.com/. Call: Monte Smith, Gold Country Sport Fishing (209) 581-4734; Kyle Wise, Head Hunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Fishing (559) 691-7008.

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area

Bass 2 Trout 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 3 Bluegill 2

The lake dropped less than a half-foot to about 2,565 feet in elevation and 36% as the releases have remained steady at 661 cfs at First Point. Cope’s Tackle and Rod reported the cooler weather has caused the water temps to drop, and the non-stop bass bite has slowed a bit. Bass can be found with umbrella rigs, small swimbaits, jigs, or shaky heads. Crappie are found at depths from 10 to 30 feet in the submerged trees around French Gulch and the South Fork with small to medium minnows or crappie jigs.

Catfish are still eating anything that smells, but anglers are doing best with shrimp, chicken liver and Triple S dip bait. Trout can be caught with garlic-scented baits, spinners, Berkley Mice Tails, or nightcrawlers from the banks with deep water access while trollers are pulling Needlefish, Tasmanian Devils, or Flicker Shad on lead core line.

In the upper Kern River, limits of planted rainbows are common throughout the 20-mile stretch from Riverside Park in Kernville to Johnsondale Bridge.

Salmon eggs, trout jigs, Hookup Baits, and Get Bent baits are working while fly fishermen are finding results with nymphs and dry/dropper later in the day. The upper Kern was stocked in the following sections: Section 4, Powerhouse no. 3 to Riverside Park in Kernville; section 5, Fairview Dam to Lazy River Lodge; and section 6, Fairview Dam to Johnsondale Bridge. In the lower Kern, flows have decreased, and the bass bite has been fair on crankbaits, jigs, and spinners. Catfish can be taken with dip baits, nightcrawlers and cut baits.

The Kern River at Kernville held at 469 cfs.

Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Bob’s Bait Bucket, Bakersfield (661) 833-8657; North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812; Golden Trout Pack Station (559) 542-2816.

Lake Kaweah

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake dropped just over a foot to 607.84 feet in elevation and 14%. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported finesse baits such as plastics on the drop-shot, shakey head, or Ned-rig along with small jigs are working for spotted bass on main lake points and over deeper rocky structure. ‘Slow dragging’ jigs with crawdad-imitation colors and trailers is also effective. Crappie are taken on small live shiners or white swimbaits, and catfish picked up anchovies, chicken liver, and dip baits. The Tulare Parks and Recreation Fishing Derby attracted over 250 youth with the big trout weighing more than 6 pounds. The flows in the Kaweah River are steady at 136 cfs.

Lake Success

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Trout 2 Catfish 2

The lake rose 1 ½ feet this week to 596.82 feet in elevation and 13%. Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Bakersfield reported fair to decent fishing. Many anglers struggled to entice bites using finesse baits in the usual locations, but there were reports of biting fish holding near submerged humps and ledges. Jigs in green pumpkin and brown did the trick after locating small schools of largemouth. Vertical spooning techniques have been another effective tactic lately. Catfish anglers did well with cut baits and dip bait. Crappie took crappie jigs and small live minnows out deeper in the water column. Electronics have been helpful for locating the tight crappie schools.

Call: Cope’s Tackle and Rod (661) 679-6351; Sequoia Fishing Co. (559) 539-5626, sequoiafishingcompany.com.

McClure Reservoir

Bass 2 Trout 2 King salmon 0 Kokanee 0 Crappie 3 Catfish 3

Bass continue to suspend around main lake points or creek channels at depths from 20-to 60-feet, and shad-patterned spoons are working best along with small shad-patterned swimbaits on an underspin or drop-shot. Most bass are small spots, and large fish are difficult to locate. Finding the grebes working the bait balls is a key to finding the bass.

There are several bass tournaments scheduled on the lake in January. Crappie action remains strong in the submerged trees in the coves with Notorious Jigs or similar types of minijigs. 25-fish limits are possible for those with Forward Facing Sonar and Spot Lock.

Holdover and recently planted rainbows taken near the dam with shad-patterned spoons such as Kastmasters in black/silver, blue/silver, or Cop Car. Catfishing remains solid at night along sloping banks with chicken livers, nightcrawlers, or cut baits. The lake held at 807.0 feet in elevation and 65%.

Call: Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008.

McSwain Reservoir

Trout 2

It’s been a month since 2,500 pounds of Department of Fish and Wildlife catchable rainbow trout were released into the lake, and between fishing and predation from ospreys and other birds, the action has slowed to a crawl. A few rainbows can be taken in the early mornings or late afternoons at the normal locations of the Brushpile, Handicapped Docks, or peninsula near the marina with Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or Kastmasters. Most of the remaining rainbows have headed into the river arm near the Second Fence Line, and trollers have the upper hand. The lake is at 88%. Angler’s Edge Market (209) 226-4416; McSwain Marina (209) 378-2534.

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River

Bass 2 Striped bass 1 Shad 1 Bluegill 2 Crappie 2

Millerton hosted a whopping 79 boats for the Tulare Police Activities League Fundraising Bass Tournament this past Saturday, and the winning limit came in at just over 11 pounds. The overall action was tough, but the field was one of the largest tournaments on one of the south San Joaquin Valley lakes in memory.

Finesse techniques of plastics on a Ned-rig or either deep- or shallow-running cranks are working best. A striper estimated at pushing 20 pounds was caught and released in the past week. The lake rose 4 feet to 486.20 feet in elevation and 38% of capacity. Sycamore Park is open daily. The flows in the San Joaquin River at Friant have dropped from 414 to 202 cfs as water releases have slowed down.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun (559) 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle (559) 515-6273.

New Melones Reservoir/Tulloch

Bass 2 Crappie 2 Catfish 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 1

Rainbow trout action remains strong for trollers slowing down to below 2 mph with Wiggle Hoochies at depths from the surface to 40 feet, but there are larger fish still holding as deep as 80 feet. The rainbows are a mixed grade with recent planters and holdovers. The shad schools are deep. John Liechty of Xperience Bass Fishing Guide Service said, “Bass fishing has been ‘hit or miss’ with great action one day, followed by slower fishing the following day in the same locations. The spotted bass are fat, healthy, and loaded with shad, averaging 1½- to 2-pounds. Larger bass are taken on swimbaits in the early mornings, but the most consistent action is with finesse presentations of tubes, Float N’ Fly, and plastics on the drop-shot. There are signs that the lake is starting to turn over.” The lake rose 3 feet to 1,048.43 feet in elevation and 83% as water releases have ended because of maintenance work at downstream Lake Tulloch.

Call: John Liechty, Xperience Fishing Guide Service (209) 743-9932; Ryan Cook, Ryan Cook’s Guide Service (559) 691-7008; Kyle Wise, Headhunter Guide Service (209) 531-3966; Monte Smith (209) 581-4734.

Pine Flat Reservoir/Kings River

Bass 2 Trout 2 Kokanee 0 King salmon 0 Catfish 2 Crappie 2

Michael Crayne of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis said, “the bass bite is starting to pick up, and interest has been high with 40 boats fishing a Black Friday tournament. Swimbaits or plastics on a Texas-rig are working along with spoons in deep water within the shad schools. Trout trolling has also been in the upswing with Speedy Shiners, Dick’s Trout Busters tipped with a piece of nightcrawler, or Needlefish near the shad schools from the Power Lines to Lefevre Creek.” There are crappie holding in the submerged trees, but you have to hunt around for them, and electronics are essential. The flows on the lower Kings at Trimmer are excellent at 440 cfs, and rainbows to 18 inches have been landed on spinners below the Pine Flat Dam.

Dave McGlothlin of Clovis was out with his son, Chris and daughter-in-law Amanda, and they scored rainbows to 18 inches with most in the 11- to 12-inch range with spinners. Atomic Tubes, Power Bait, or nightcrawlers are also working. The lake held at 867.96 feet in elevation and 57 percent.

Call: Valley Rod & Gun 292-3474; 559 Fresno Bait and Tackle 515-6273. Sequoia Fishing Co. 539-5626

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay

Striper 2 Catfish 2 Bass 2 Crappie 2

Josh Mesa of Coyote Bait and Tackle in Morgan Hill said, “Striped bass fishing from the banks remains solid for schoolies near Dinosaur Point with anchovies or live minnows. The size of the minnows has dropped in the past few weeks, but they are still working for the linesides along with ¾-th ounce Rat-L-Traps in chrome/blue or white/black back yo-yoed off the bottom. There is a topwater bite with River2Sea Whopper Ploppers, Berkley Choppo’s, Heddon’s Spooks or Cordell Cotton’s Pencil Poppers along with jerkbaits such as Duo Realis 120’s in Neo Pearl.

Roger George of Roger George Guide Service said that the troll bite has been slow, but there has been some decent action on ripbaits worked shallow in the back of Portuguese Cove . “ There is a small topwater window in the morning but it’s not consistent. Minnows have been doing as well as anything lately . I’m hoping the water will stop falling soon. “ he said.

The O’Neill Forebay has slowed for stripers with the best fishing near Check 12 with anchovies or minnows. The weeds are thick until the Buoys, but they are starting to break up with the cold water.” The main lake dropped to with the O’Neill Forebay at 82%.

To check the wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.

To check the wind conditions on the lake - use windfinder.com/forecast/san_luis_reservoir.

Call: Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711, Roger George, rogergeorgeguideservice.com (559) 905-2954

High Sierra

Bass Lake

Bass 2 Trout 3 Kokanee 0

Mike Beighey of Bass Lake Fishing said, “A trout plant occurred two weeks ago, and fishing is good now with several holdover rainbows to 19 inches in the mix. There should be two-year-old kokanee in the lake, but I’m not holding my breath if they show up since the last two years have been dismal for kokanee.” A few large spotted bass have been taken on swimbaits. A webcam of the launch ramp is available at https://basslakeca.com/. Call: Mike Beighey, Bass Lake Fishing 676-8133

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool

The gate to Kaiser Pass Road closed on Nov.ember 15. The Kaiser Pass lakes are starting to release water with fewer anglers heading over the pass to fish the small impoundments. Edison held at 30 with Florence at 25%. Mammoth Pool is at 63%.

Road conditions 297-0706.

Call: Vermilion Valley Resort at Edison Lake 259-4000

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake

Trout 2 Kokanee 2

The Island, Black Rock, and the Stevenson Bay areas are the top locations for trout in the top 20 feet, Purple/orange tubes or spinner hoochies in the same color tipped with corn or crawler or both behind weighted flashers or larger dodgers should be the best tackle. The trout are moving close to the surface as the water continues to cool. The Shaver Marina is closed, but the Sierra Marina launch ramp is open. A webcam of the Shaver launch ramp is at sierramarina.com/webcam-weather-page.html and for Huntington at http://www.shaverlakewebcams.info/huntington.html. Huntington remains very slow for both rainbow trout and kokanee. Shaver has dropped to 77 with Huntington dropping to 54%.

Call: Todd Wittwer, Kokanee.net Guide Service 288-8100; Jerad Romero, Jrods Guide Service 392-6994; Tom Oliveira, Tom Oliveira Fishing 802-8072

Wishon/Courtright

Trout 0

The gate to McKinley Grove Road closed on Dec. 1, limiting access to the high elevation lakes. The road is anticipated to be reopened in April 2024.Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Ocean

Half Moon Bay

Rockfish 3 Striper 2 Halibut 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crabs 3

Out of Half Moon Bay, Captain Michael Cabanas of the New Captain Pete is scoring up to 22 limits of Dungeness on crab-only trips. The New Captain Pete is under new ownership as Captain Melynda Dodds of California Guide Service has obtained the vessel, but Cabanas will continue to run the boat during crab season on crab-only trips. Rockfishing is limited due to the necessary to travel at least 20 miles to find structure deeper than 50 fathoms. Snares continue to work from the Pacifica Pier and the beaches along the San Mateo and San Francisco County coastline. A huge swell with sneaker waves has created dangerous surf conditions early this week.

Call: Captain Michael Cabanas, New Captain Pete (510) 677-7054; Captain Chris Chang, Ankeny Street (650) 279-8819; Captain Bill Smith, Riptide (650) 728-8433; Half Moon Bay Sport Fishing, Queen of Hearts (510) 581-2628

Monterey/Santa Cruz

Rockfish 3 Halibut 2 Striper 2 White seabass 1 Sand dabs 3 Surf perch 3 crabs 3

For Dungeness crab, currently only hoops or snares are allowed in Zone 4 from Point Arena on the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to Point Lopez south of Monterey.

From the beaches, surf perch action continues to improve with Honey Badger Baits Ultra Slayer or Zombie Slayer, but the large waves at the start of this week will create unsafe conditions from the surf.

Allen Bushnell of Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting Guide Service said, “We were blessed with fine fishing conditions this past week on Monterey Bay. The coming weekend looks to be just as nice with low winds and calm seas. Deepwater rockfishing remains the mainstay for charter operations out of Monterey and Santa Cruz. Chris’ Sportfishing reported limit of up to 200 rockfish and eight lingcod on their Wednesday trip aboard the Checkmate. Bayside Marine owner Todd Fraser says the best deep water spots near Santa Cruz right are near Wilder Ranch and Davenport. Dungeness crabbing is productive as well, especially for those dropping their hoop nets along the deep canyon edges. Beach fishing is getting better and better. From Santa Cruz to Seaside, we’re receiving reports of limit-style perch fishing, and they’re getting bigger as we approach wintertime. Striped bass are on an uptick, especially near the river mouths at the Pajaro and Salinas Rivers. The big fish story this week stars Carmel Valley angler Luke Proskine. He started fishing seriously only four years ago, after enjoying a local kayak fishing trip. He soon bought an 18-foot skiff to give himself more range, and since has landed plenty of fish locally, as well as trophy halibut from the south-central coast.

As Proskine said, “even that 50-pound halibut and bigger salmon and lingcod I’ve caught, I’ve felt I was in control. I could handle them.” Last Tuesday, he hooked up on a fish that “handled” him like a rag doll. Launching solo from the Harbor in Monterey, he found a good temperature break about 15 miles from Cypress Point. “The area was just so full of life, with dolphins, whales, birds, and bait. I knew this had to be the spot,”he said.

He dropped in a Madmac tuna lure in pink and black with 100 feet of 130-pound mono as a top-shot over 150- pound braid on his Makaira 50 reel. “It didn’t take long,” Proskine said. “My clicker started screaming. I slowed the boat to an idle and grabbed the rod but there was literally nothing I could do. As the fight progressed, I started thinking maybe this fish was just beyond my physical abilities.” The big bluefin tuna on his line ripped off hundreds of yards before turning. “It took everything I had to get him. By the time the fish was boatside, I was beyond complete exhaustion. I made a good gaff shot, but then the gaff hook broke with the weight of the fish.” He managed to keep the fish close and finally tail roped the big tuna to haul him aboard. The fish weighed in at about 150 pounds. That is a monumental accomplishment for any angler. When asked, Proskine said not only is this the first bluefin he’s ever caught, but also the first he’s ever even seen! That makes his accomplishment even more amazing, as most tuna anglers follow a progression of learning from others and on charter trips with experienced crew. Proskine knew they were out there, followed the local info and reports and just went out and caught the fish of a lifetime.”

Rockfish trips have been dependent upon interest as whale watching has been extremely popular with the number of humpback whales in Monterey Bay. Limits of rockfish and a healthy lingcod count remains the rule out of Chris’s Fishing and Whale Watching in Monterey fishing deep water either in the canyon or south at Point Sur.

Call: Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951; Allen Bushnell, Santa Cruz Kayak and Surf Casting (831) 251-9732

Golden Gate/San Francisco Bay

Halibut 2 Striper 2 Rockfish 3 Leopard shark 3 Sturgeon 2 Crab 3

Similar to what occurred during the 2023 summer potluck season, the majority of party boats in the San Francisco Bay region remain tied to the docks in spite of incredible crab and rockfish action. With the northern California commercial Dungeness crab season in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 delayed until at least Dec.16 as the crab are not yet ready for market, and the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 3 through 6 delayed due to the presence of many humpback whales leading to the potential for entanglement, party and private boaters have unfettered access to the crab grounds. The next risk assessment will take place on or around Dec. 7, and this assessment is expected to inform a potential commercial fishery opener and modification of the recreational trap restriction according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Normally, the boats out of Half Moon Bay, San Francisco Bay, and Bodega Bay are loaded with customers during the crab combination season, and even though 10-crab limits of big, beautiful Dungeness are virtually guaranteed, fewer boats have been working regularly. Perhaps it is the necessity to head out to 50 fathoms for rockfish, but the 10-fish sacks coming out of the deep water have been as heavy as they can be.

Captain Jerad Davis of the Salty Lady out of Sausalito and Captain Rick Powers of the New Sea Angler out of Bodega Bay took a two-boat charter from Plant Construction on Saturday, meeting at Rittenburg Bank for limits of huge vermilion, canary, yellowtail, and Boccaccio rockfish before pulling the hoops for a combined 40 limits of rockfish and crab. Davis said, “This is always one of our favorite charters, and the weather was good with just a bit of wind, and the rockfish were biting once the drift picked up.”

Captain Jonathan Smith of the Happy Hooker out of Berkeley was also out on Saturday for limits of rockfish and crab, and even though they are available during the week, almost all their trips are on weekends. Two boats have been running consistently have been the California Dawn I and II out of Berkeley, and the two boats combined for a whopping 107 limits of rockfish and crab with a few lings to boot over the weekend.

There is less than a month before the rockfish season closes on Dec. 31, and crab-only trips will slow to a crawl when the Dungeness start clutching by February. If you want to have some fresh crab now, you must go out on a private or party boat until the opening of the commercial season.

It’s December, and after a tremendous spring, summer, and fall season for California halibut, the halibut hangover has finally arrived as few boats in San Francisco Bay are even trying for the flatfish. There has been an extension of the halibut season over the past few years, and boats will start heading out of Oyster Point in January to once again seek halibut. Fortunately, striped bass continue to hold out in the bay, and limits of striped bass along with leopard shark. Even though schools of striped bass are migrating into the California Delta, there are enough linesides around for easy limits for those with live bait. The live bait receiver in San Francisco has closed for the season, but there are party boats with a few scoops left. After their supply is exhausted, mudsuckers, shiners, or smelt are the live bait options. Captain Steve Talmadge of Flash Sport Fishing in San Francisco said, “The Flash 2 put in limits of stripers by 10:30 a.m. on a recent trip before switching over to catching and releasing leopard shark. Fishing inside the bay is very good right now.”

Captain Ron Koyasko of Nautilus Excursions out of San Francisco had a similar trip on Saturday with 7 limits of striped bass to 12 pounds after heading outside the Gate for close to limits of Dungeness crab. Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, was out with Koyasako on this trip, and he said, “We also released some huge leopard shark in the 4- to 5-foot range. There are enough live anchovies for another trip, and Captain Ron will use mudsuckers for live bait after the supply is gone.”

It’s generally about white sturgeon and leopard shark during the winter months in San Francisco Bay, but it remains to be seen if the sturgeon will make a showing based upon the past few years. The presence of striped bass in the bay after two dismal years has been a huge bonus in 2023.

Of important note for San Francisco Bay, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to make the emergency two-halibut daily bag limit permanent and also change the daily bag limit in Southern California from 5 to 2 fish. Information on the proposed regulation change is available at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=216742&inline. The Fish and Game Commission will hear this proposal on Dec. 14 in San Diego.

Call: Captain Ron Koyasako, Nautilus Excursions (916) 704-4169; Captain Jerad Davis, Salty Lady (415) 760-9362; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Happy Hooker (510) 223-5388.

San Luis Obispo

Rockfish 3 Surf perch 3

The boat-based nearshore rockfish season above Point Conception ended on September 1, forcing boats out of Morro Bay to either fish nearshore below Point Conception or deep water of 50 fathoms or more. The Black Pearl out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay was on an overnight trip on Saturday with 20 passengers for limits of rockfish consisting of 80 vermilion, 60 assorted, and 60 Boccaccio to go with 12 ling cod. The Fiesta and Rita G were out on Saturday on trips ranging from ½ to 3/4th-day, and their 27 anglers returned with 83 assorted rockfish, 52 Boccaccio, 60 vermilion, and a solitary ling cod. Out of Morro Bay Landing, the Starfire was out on a ½-day trip on Sunday with 9anglers for trip for near limits of rockfish consisting of 10 vermilion, 50 assorted rockfish, and 20 Boccaccio. Out of Patriot Sport Fishing in Port San Luis, the Patriot was out on Friday with 12 passengers on a three-quarter- day trip for 48 vermilion, 2 Boccaccio, 59 assorted rockfish, and one 10-pound lingcod.

Patriot will also offer Dungeness crab/rockfish combination trips. Webcams of many of the coastal locations are available at https://805webcams.com/. The rockfish season in this section of coast is open seaward of 50 fathoms through Dec. 31 in both the Central Management Area above Point Conception and in the Southern Management Area below Point Conception.

Call: Virg’s Landing (800) 762-5263; Patriot Sport Fishing (805) 595-4100; Morro Bay Landing.

Others

Delta/Stockton

Bass 3 Striper 3 Sturgeon 3 Catfish 2 Bluegill 3

The California Delta is ground zero for white sturgeon and striped bass as sturgeon continue to hole up in Suisun Bay from Pittburg to Martinez while more and more striped bass flooded into the Sacramento and San Joaquin systems. Largemouth bass numbers are possible, but most of the bass continue to be on the small side. Normally, by the start of December, the waters of the California Delta turn cold, but with the lack of cold and stormy weather so far, the water temperature is in the ideal 52- to 58-degree range in the main Sacramento River.

Alan Fong of Alan Fong Outdoors put on a two-day clinic this week with over 50 stripers each day spooning or throwing 5-inch swimbaits between Rio Vista and Martinez. He said, “the striper bite is on fire, as we are spooning in 25-to 30-feet along with casting into the shallows from 3-to 6-feet with swimbaits. There are a lot of fish here, and they are in incredible shape. They will stick around in the area until there is enough rain to dirty up the water. Once the river gets muddy, they will start heading into the north Delta and into the upper river, and locations like Snodgrass Slough and Liberty Island will start producing. We are also finding schools of crappie in the north Delta, and the Forward-Facing Sonar is a game-changer. The crappie are all larger than my hand, and they are biting.”

Jeff Soo Hoo of Soo Hoo Sport Fishing added, “There are a ton of stripers in the system, and we had over 50 fish by 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. We started off on the San Joaquin, but after picking up four linesides, we went through Three-Mile Slough to the Sacramento side. The parking lot at Brannan Island was full of trailers, and that is a testament as to how good the striper bite is right now. There were boats on the West Bank trolling, on the anchor, or drifting live bait. The stripers are stacked up, and we even found fish when we couldn’t see them on the meter. It’s as good as it gets right now.”

Sturgeon fishing remains hot as Captain Steve Mitchell of Hook’d Up Sport Fishing out of Pittsburg put his customers onto 17 fish to the boat on Saturday. He said, “The sturgeon chewed today, and that’s not even counting the number of fish lost and bites missed. We had a group of novice anglers out, and their adrenaline took over several times, and they lost sturgeon by breaking them off or when they came out of the water. We still ended up with all they could handle, but we didn’t land a single fish in the new slot-limit from 42-to 48-inches, releasing a number of oversized sturgeon.” Cured salmon roe remains the best bait, and Kyle Wise of Head Hunter Sport Fishing posted nine sturgeon to the boat on Saturday, including a ‘unicorn’ in the slot at 44 inches.

Johnny Wang, manager of Turner’s Outdoorsman in Stockton, reported striped bass action has been very good in the San Joaquin River near the Black Bridge near the firing range at Rough and Ready Island, the Stockton Rod and Gun Club, Paradise Point, and in Disappointment Slough for anglers casting Rat-L-Traps or topwater lures off the banks. Wang caught and released seven stripers throwing a fluke on an underspin in McLeod Lake in downtown Stockton.

“There are striped bass breaking the surface on shad schools along with salmon being devoured by sea lions,” he said.

Fresno-native Vince Borges of Vince Borges Outdoors said, “there are stripers everywhere in the system from down south up to Liberty Island. We were fishing a tournament on Black Friday out of the Tracy Oasis, and we noticed fish on the bottom in the middle of the channel while we were working the banks. My partner cast to the fish, and he brought in a striper so we forgot we were in a tournament for a while and just caught and released stripers from 20-to 30-inches. There are tons of shad in the back sloughs, but it doesn’t matter what color on the swimbaits. The umbrella rigs are coming up with either a double striper or a double largemouth, and they are bending up the wires. This is a great time of year with both the largemouth and striped bass chewing, and either an umbrella rig or a ripbait are working for both species. Wherever there is shad, there is bass.

“Most of the schools of stripers have been in the channel or in the turns with current, and there are linesides in the Port of Stockton, Victoria Island, Coney Island, and at River’s End. The water quality has improved in the south Delta, but I am still using umbrella rigs with blades in the dingy water and without blades in the clearer water. The topwater bite has been slow. For largemouth bass, during the tournament, we were working the grass line with chatterbaits, but I was able to catch and released a 7.99-pound largemouth by punching the weeds.”

Call: Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Captain Steve Mitchell, Hook’d Up Sport Fishing (707) 655-6736; Vince Borges, Vince Borges Outdoors (209) 918-0828

Events:

Jan. 18-21

International Sportsman’s Exposition – Cal Expo/Sacramento – information: www:sportsexpos.com.

Tournament results

Nov. 24

Pine Flat – Black Friday Tournament

1st – Jesse Aguilar – 9.90 pounds; 2nd – Xang Vang/Fang Xiong – 9.58; 3rd – Nathan Towes/David Childress – 9.41.

Dec. 2

Millerton – 3rd Annual Tulare Police Activity League Fundraising Bass Tournament

1st - Rod and Scott Burns - 11.09 pounds; 2nd - Tim and Timmy Wells - 10.73; 3rd - Aaron and Calvin Vang - 10.47; Big Fish – Nick Sanches/Jordan Poytress – 4.22 pounds; Top Law Enforcement Officer – Darin Fagundes – 8.41 pounds.

Upcoming tournaments (dates and locations subject to change)

Dec. 9

California Aqueduct – Striperz Gone Wild 4th Annual Fishing Tournament – Volta Road in Los Banos

New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers

Lopez – American Bass Association

Dec. 16

Pine Flat – Sierra Bass Club

Dec. 17

McClure – Fresno Bass Club

Eastman – Sierra Bass Club

Dec. 30

Pine Flat – Fresno Hmong New Year Tournament – information: Kong Moua – 470-3332.

Jan. 1

Pine Flat – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – American Bass Association/805 Bass Addicts

Jan. 6

New Melones – Sonora Bass Anglers

McClure – 17/90 Bass Club

Millerton – Kerman Bass Club

Jan. 7

Delta/Ladd’s Marina – American Bass Association

Millerton – Bass 101

Jan. 13

McClure – Christian Bass League

Nacimiento – Golden Empire Bass Club

Jan. 14

Don Pedro – Riverbank Bass Anglers

Jan. 20

New Melones – Contra Costa Bass Club

McClure – Sierra Bass Club/Tri-Valley Bass Masters

Jan. 21

Millerton – Fresno Bass Club

Pine Flat – Kings River Bass Club

Jan. 27

McClure – Best Bass Tournaments

Millerton – Cen Cal Elite Bass Tournaments

Nacimiento – Best Bass Tournaments

Jan. 28

Millerton – California Bass Federation

For more go to fresnobee.com/fishing.